Considering buying a XJS

Actually I've decided to sell my '95 XJS 6.0L convertible. I'm the second owner, owned it for three years and maintained the car faithfully. The longest trip that I have taken is 1,100 miles and she performed beautifully and while I don't recomend the car for a daily driver, I would not be afraid of driving it daily (and do on occasion). You may wish to investigate buying a gas station if you drive it all the time (LOL).

66,000 miles, I have all the service records. New tires, I preformed the 60k service ($1,200) so she is good to go for another 30k. The top was replaced four years ago ($1,800), so its in great shape. She is Topaz with an Oatmeal leather interior and a Brown Top.

BUT HERE IS THE BEST PART. I have a PRIMUS Total Care warranty that is tranferable. PRIMUS is a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and is the same warranty that you will be offered when buying a late model Jaguar off of a Jaguar dealers used car lot. It's fully transferable to a new owner for a $40 transfer fee. It cost me thousands to buy it as you may suspect. Just don't invalidate the warranty and you have bumper to bumper coverage should something break other then normal wear and tear (breaks, shocks, weather striping, etc.)

I live in Wilmington, DE and my email is jeff.bolmeyercomcast.net. I will warn you that a V12 Jag is more maintainiance then a similiar late model Six. I owned a 1996 4.0L XJS prior to this one. She is one of only 76 similiar cars manufactured in 1995 according to Jaguar's records. The 1994 is pretty much the same car and there were over 1,000 of them made (but with less horse power).

Jaguar Jeff
'95 XJS 6.0L Conv. (Queenie)
'94 XJ-40 4.0L (Black Cat)

Thank you, everyone. I'm not considering two XJS convertibles - a 95 and a 96. I found a 95 with 18,000 miles on it in perfect condition. A mechanic is looking at it now. I have not had the 96 checked out yet, but I'll likely fly out to look at it next week if the 95 purchase does not work out.

Thank you again!

2004 XJR and hopefully an XJS very soon!

1. Compression check No. 1 plug is notorious. HE engines 130-150
2. Knocking & Pinging, if higher octan won't clear it up you may have a problem
3. Overheating, should never run over the N
4. Transmission Check the color and odor , if its dark brown walk away
5. Rust
6. Enjoy!

1991 XJS Convertible Classic 5.3

Gonna chime in again here regarding the above warning about buying a car over the internet. I agree whole heartedly. I saw mine on Auto Trader, but I went to see it first. I did not take it to a mechanic, and even though I had lots of experience with GM muscle cars, I has no idea what to look for on the Jag. Got lucky, except for the AC. Wish I would have known what I know now so I could have tried to talk it down more. Otherwise, no rust, good paint, perfect interior, and ran great, so all in all, I got lucky, but I still looked at it first.

A month later a co-worker asked me to go to Dayton to check out a 90 XJS. She liked mine so much, she wanted one. On the Internet picture, the car looked perfect, and the price was right. We were excited. Fortunately, she took me along. To say this car was a heap was the mother of all understatements. We even called the seller in advance who, to put it mildly, lied to our specific questions about it's condition. Example, I asked if there was any rust. He replied no. In person, the car had rust holes big enough to put your fist through. Plus, it sounded like a lawnmower that was overdur for a tune-up. Not the way a V-12 should ever sound. Needless to say, we didn't get it.

I've know others who have purchased "sight unseen." It's about 50/50. Half end up with a great car, the other half get a clunker. Be careful.

Tom Kipp
89 XJ-S Coupe

Michael,

So far, you've got some good suggestions here. Most important, from my viewpoint, is that unless you are a very good mechanic and are very familiar with the XJS and the V-12, have it looked at by a qualified JAGUAR experienced mechanic. You don't have to take it to a dealer (most dealers don't want to inspect old cars), but there are several good, experienced mechanics in the NJ/NY area that really know Jaguars, and XJS's in particular. It is well worth the money to have someone inspect the car carefully to avoid buying a moneypit.

I owned an '89 XJS for a few years. Bought it used. It was in excellent condition when I bought it and I drove it home from upstate NY to NJ, no problems. But even in as good shape as it was, it cost money to maintain. Be prepared. They are not cheap cars to maintain, mainly because of the complexity of things under the bonnet and how crowded everything is in there.

A couple of recommendations: First, buy the best car you can. Spend the extra money to get a really good, well maintained car. Look at the service records. No records, walk away. If you buy something cheap, you'll get burned on repair costs, unless you can do the work yourself. You might also consider buying a new car, with the 6 cyl. engine. The 6's are easier to work on and, IMHO, more reliable. But that big V-12 is a joy to drive on the highway.

I second the comment on Kirby's book. It's worth reading his sections on buying an XJS and maintenance, as it will pinpoint things to look at and give you a basis for creating a checklist of things to consider and look at when you find a car. But take it with a "grain of salt" as they say. He is overly critical and negative sometimes. But there is a lot of really good information in there.

Best of luck. If you need the name of a good mechanic, let us know, including the area you're located.

Steve Weinstein, JTC-NJ
'70 XKE FHC
'69 XKE OTS
Former '89 XJS owner

p.s. Don't go by the prices you see on the internet, especially on Ebay. Be very cautious if you are considering an internet buy, particularly Ebay. Don't... I repeat, Don't... under any circumstances, by an XJS on the internet without seeing the car IN PERSON and having it looked at by a qualified mechanic of YOUR choosing. And watch out for internet scammers who want a "deposit" wired to them to hold the car for you. Caveat emptor! And do a Carfax search on the VIN before going to look at the car to be sure it's not a salvage title and no history of accidents, flood damage, etc.

I bought my XJS, flew in to Sacramento, and drove it 750 miles back to my home in Washington....so it is certainly "doable".....if you get the right car. A neglected example may not across the Hudson Rover. I know use the car almost exclusively for road trips...usually 500-700 miles at a crack. No worries.

Adding to the good advice from others let me just say the the inboard brakes used on all but the last 2-3 years are problem, labor wise, if work is needed. Oh, replacing the pads is a cake walk....but replacing calipers, rotors, axle seals and so forth is labor intensive. It'll have to be done on any XJS eventually but if records prove that the previous owner has already tackled that expense, it's a real "plus" for you.

If you like to tinker and are a reasonably good DIY guy, these cars are lots of fun and really not all that expensive to keep on the road. If you have to pay a mechanic for repairs...well...I hope you have deep pockets.

And remember that there is no such thing as a bargain Jaguar. It is almost always better to pay top dollar for a truly premium example rather than buying cheap with the hopes of "fixing it up". The fix-it-up route is always more costly, sometimes 2 or 3 times more than simply finding a good car to begin with. A well cared for Jaguar is a purring kitten, a neglected Jaguar is an unforgiving b*tch.

Kirby's book has lots of good info although I caution you not to take all his admonitions too seriously....he tends to paint an overly gloomy picture, in my opinion.

If any doubts, have candidate cars inspected by a shop that knows Jaguars.

Good luck

Doug Dwyer
JDRC/NWA
1987 XJ6 III
1988 XJS V12 Coupe

I bought mine in Cincinnati and I live in Reynoldsburg, about 120 miles away. Had no problems at all, but the car was in decent shape and had only 54K on the odo. It has been my year round all season daily driver ever since with no regrets. Expect "old car" issues like rotting hoses and bushings, but those are no biggie. If it runs smoothe and sounds good, it's probably OK. A sick kitty, especially a V12, is pretty obvious.

Big thing to check for for a newbie. If it is a pre-facelift car with a V12, start it up and let it run to warm up, before you buy it. The temp guage is one of four guages that look like the original Star Trek sick bay ala Dr. McCoy. If the temp need goes above the letter "N" on the guage, run, do not walk, away from that car. Also make sure it is reading oil pressure, should be about 45-50 when cold. Once warmed up, it drops real low, but that's normal, as long as it's not bottomed out.

See if the steering is sloopy with too much play. If so, relatively cheap fix, but expect to spend an afternoon lowering the steering rack to replace some bushings.

Make surew the AC works. If it doesn't, may still be a good car, but you have a real negotiating point on price because re-doing the entire system is about a $4500 job if done by a shop.

Just some helpful hints.

Tom Kipp
89 XJ-S Coupe

Unless you are considering an older model with many miles and less than good attention to maintenance, I would say absolutely, yes.
I have a 1994 with only 70k miles, and it has been very reliable.
It is for sale if you are interested.

Jim Kennedy
Carolina Jaguar Club
1994 XJS Convertible 4.0L
xjsdriveryahoo.com